Celebrate hope with World Wish Day on Monday, April 29

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind – April 29 is just another Monday for many, but for kids battling critical illnesses, it’s a day of hope: World Wish Day.

It recognizes the first wish granted back in 1980 that inspired the creation of Make-A-Wish.

Back in 1980, 7-year-old Chris Greicius of Arizona was battling cancer. Greicius dreamed of being a police officer. His wish came true on April 29 with the help of a few determined men. Greicius passed a few days later on May 3.

For those who helped fulfill Grecicius’s wish, it became a mission to help other children just like him. By November 1980, Make-A-Wish was given its tax-exempt status as a nonprofit.

Today, Make-A-Wish has grown to thousands of volunteers and grants 30,000 wishes globally every year.

“I’m a former wish kid. In 2007, I was granted a wish. My wish was to meet a huge rock star and it was life-changing for me,” said Joy Araujo of Indianapolis.

Araujo still feels the impacts of her wish to this day.

“My wish impacted me greatly, even today because I still suffer from depression. I just had my second kidney transplant. I did dialysis for four years prior to that, but I always had something to look back on. Something to say the world is a great place, people do care and great things still happen and my wish was one of those things.”